Council hears update on garbage rates and sludge costs; no rate vote taken

City staff provided an informational update during the Sept. 9 Bandera City Council meeting on garbage and utility rates; the council did not take formal action but questioned assumptions and options.

Staff said projected utility-fund revenue for the budget the council approved was about $700,000 and projected expenses for residential and commercial garbage were about $610,000; staff emphasized those expense figures exclude wastewater-specific costs such as sludge removal. Staff reported sludge pickup at the wastewater plant costs about $1,064 per week and amounts to approximately $55,000 annually; that expense is borne in the utility fund and should be included when evaluating the overall solid-waste program.

Staff also explained that Republic Services and the city’s contract arrangements commonly include an administrative fee that cities pass along to customers; staff said every city the vendor works with charges an administrative fee. Council members asked about alternatives such as every-other-week pickup for residents who struggle to afford weekly service and compared Bandera’s contract terms to nearby municipalities.

Discussion at times grew heated; council members expressed differing views about the size of recent increases and whether the city had alternatives. Staff defended the figures as representing current costs and contract terms. No motion or vote to change rates occurred during the meeting; the council announced it would consider related real-property matters for the wastewater plant in closed session later in the agenda.